Dining review: Pork & Pie

A Creole stop in Marshall's old bus station

Dec. 19, 2013

Bread pudding at Pork & Pie. / SG Seguret / Asheville Scene

Written by

SG Séguret

Pork & Pie in Marshall. / SG Seguret / Asheville Scene

IF YOU GO

The restaurant: Pork & Pie is at 18 N. Main St. in Marshall. 649-8208. www.porkandpie.com. Hours: Lunch noon-3 p.m., dinner 5-9 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. The bar stays open through the afternoon. Dish to try: The Katherine, Louisiana crawfish etouffée, sautéed baby spinach, biscuit, sunny-side-up egg and smoked tomato choron. Beverages: Six local beers on tap, a dozen or so wines including the renowned Bordeaux Chateau Recougne, and bottled beers and sodas. Service: Small-town gracious and friendly. Cost: $4 for hog bread, $15 for risotto with seared Coho salmon, shitake mushrooms, fresh spinach and soft poached egg. Ambiance: Family friendly, with both booths and tables, oil paintings of New Orleans scenes, and a huge moose head (Henri) looking out from the corner. Noise level: Comfortable. The bottom line: A definite boon to Marshall’s culinary offerings, creative, satisfying and with local ingredients.

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Things are looking bright for Marshall, which is rapidly becoming a smaller version of Asheville with its island art studios, galleries and multiple musical venues, not to mention its newfound glory as a movie backdrop.

Blanhasset Island in Marshall was the scene of “the reaping” in “The Hunger Games,” and downtown Marshall also hosted the actors of “Blue,” to be released in 2014.

But is the formerly sleepy little town ready for Creole and Cajun spice? It would seem this way, as Pork & Pie, the new incarnation of the old Rock Café, a once-upon-a-time bus station, has been buzzing since its opening in July.

Chef Jaime Hernandez was for years executive chef at the celebrated Juban’s, along with other establishments in Baton Rouge. He also catered to guests from around the world in Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands, as part of the Tropical Events Group. His knowledge of international cuisine enhances his Louisiana background, and with the addition of local ingredients, this is a combination laced with promise.

Parking is not a problem in Marshall (despite the single street that makes up most of the town). Meters are not yet in vogue either, so you can leave your coins at home. Pork & Pie is across the street from Zuma’s (the other eating option in town), and the old building, once a bus station, is made of creek rock in warm colors.

A step inside revealed a bar along the right-hand wall, with a chalkboard listing local cheeses and cold cuts of the day. The dining room was open and friendly, living-room style, with booths along the windows bordering the street (perfect for people-watching) and tables elsewhere. A moose head (Henri) hung in the corner, flanked by oil paintings, impressionist-style, of Louisiana street scenes.

A glance at the menu revealed a hen and andouille sausage gumbo topped with basmati rice and chives. The sauce was dark and heady, indicative of a carefully-tended roux, and the spiciness perfect for a winter’s day. On a Saturday, brunch options included the Louie (after Louie Armstrong) and the Katherine (after the chef’s grandmother).

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The first: a sautéed crab cake on a bed of local red-stemmed baby spinach, served atop a large breakfast biscuit and topped with a sunny-side-up egg and a lemony-taragonny béarnaise sauce. The second was a similar construction, with a Louisiana crawfish etouffée replacing the crab cake and the sauce transformed into a smoked tomato choron. Both were vibrant and satisfying.

A complimentary side of Cajun-spiced pork rinds provided a crispy crunch for contrast, and a Mother Trucker Pale Ale, one of six brews on tap, gave the right cooling effect to the spices in the sauce.

Dessert options included a hot square of bread pudding swimming in melted white chocolate and topped with raspberries. Beignets were sprinkled in powdered sugar, and the famous New Orleans spot Café du Monde came to mind. It’s too bad the restaurant is closed Monday nights, when Zuma’s, across the way, hosts a blues jam.

One might think the arrival of such an accomplished chef in Marshall would arouse suspicion amongst the locals. But with Jaime and Deena Hernandez’s efforts to source ingredients close by and make dishes affordable, coupled with a constantly evolving menu, the chef-driven family enterprise looks like a viable addition. For now, the clientele seems to be a 50/50 balance of locals and outsiders.